Game ball



N. w. GILBERT 2,944,823

GAME BALL Filed Feb. 3. 1956 IN VEN TOR.

AT TORNE Y5 United States Patent GAME BALL Normand W. Gilbert, Salmon Falls, N.H. Filed Feb. 3, 1956, Ser. No. 563,231 2 Claims. (or. 213-443) This invention relates to game balls and pertains par-.

ticularly to a ball which in addition to being suitable for the usual types of play such as throwing, catching, bouncing and the like, contains within its hollow interior an indicator which is movable relative to the shell of the ball and which is visible from the outside of the ball.

. portion of the cylinder may be viewed. Preferably the It is an object of the invention to provide a ball of such type in which said indicator carries a series of legends which when observed by the player or, players forms the basis of a game. I

Other objects and advantages'of the inventionrwill appear hereinafter. a

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a ball.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1..

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the indicator member.

Referring to the drawings, the invention has been illustrated as adapted to play a simulated game of baseball. For this purpose, the hollow ball is provided comprising a spheroidal shell 1 and preferably having adiameter approximately the diameter of a standard size baseball. While the ball is preferably formed of molded rubber or molded synthetic plastic material of suitable strength and elasticity, the outside surface may, if desired, be decorated;

with simulated seams to resemble the outside cover of a baseball.

Projecting inwardly from opposed portions of the shell of the ball are a pair of oppositely disposed coaxial trunnions 2, 3 which are preferably formed integrally with the wall of the ball. Said trunnions serve as supports for an indicator member, here in the form of a hollow cylinder 4 which can rotate freely thereon. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, said trunnions extend radially from diametrically opposed portions of the shell.

Said indicator member carries a series of legends 5 onits outer cylindrical surface. Said legends are significant action terms of the game for which the ball is adapted. That is, in the ball illustrated, which, as previously stated, is adapted to play a simulated game of baseball, the legends would be such as Strike, Ball, Out, Home dimensions of the window and of the legends are such that only one, of the legends will be visible at a time.

In use, when the ball is thrown, rolled, bounced or otherwise put into motion, the hollow cylinder 4 tends to rotate on the trunnions 2, 3 so that each time it is 1 caught or otherwise stopped, a different legend is likely to be visible through the transparent window. The player or players may be governed by the-legends which become visible according to previously agreed rules.

The 'ball may be readily adapted for the simulated play :of other games bysubstituting appropriate legends. For

example, for football, legends such as 5 .Yard Gain, 3 Yard Loss, -Pass, Interception might be used. Appropriate legends for other games might also be substituted, as for example, legends for basket ball, tennis,-

soccer and the like. I

In such cases, if desired, the ball may be made in the size or shape,-or both, of the standard ball of the particular game to be simulated. That is, in the case of football, for example, the ball could be a prolate spheroid in the manner of the usual football.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game ball comprising a hollow spheroidal shell, a pair of oppositely disposed trunnions projecting radially inwardly from diametrically opposed portions of the shell, the ends of said oppositely disposed trunnions being spaced apart, and an indicator member consisting of a hollow cylinder having a cylindrical passage extending therethrough into which said trunnions project, said hollow cylinder being loosely carried on said trunnions for free rotation'thereon, the outside cylindrical surface of said hollow cylinder having legends thereon, said shell having a window therein through which said legends may be observed.

2. A game ball as claimed in claim 1 in which said window is closed by a transparent panel having its outside surface flush with the outside surface of the spheroidal shell.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Patented July 12, 196 0 

